HUDA clears dues to 1485 plot owners

GURGAON: Nearly 1,500 plot holders in Sector 52 heaved a sigh of relief as HUDA administrator Anita Yadav ordered immediate refund of dues to them in compliance with a directive by the Punjab and Haryana high court in July 2014.

The high court had reduced the enhancement amount paid by the 1,485 plot holders to Rs 1,870.69 per sq yard, telling HUDA to pay back the remaining amount. As HUDA had taken the enhancement thrice from the plot holders, the latter were entitled to higher refunds. For instance, a plot owner of 'one canal' is entitled to a refund of close to Rs 10 lakh from HUDA.

The plot holders, who had been struggling for more than a year to get the refund of the excess amount paid to HUDA, said now HUDA will have to pay Rs 250 crore in all. The allottees had met the estate officer and other staff in the HUDA office in Sector 56 many a time, but to no avail. Their wait finally came to an end when they met Yadav on Thursday.

"I immediately instructed the officials concerned in the Chandigarh office to release the refund. Everything was sorted out in a day. The processing of refunds will start from Monday," said Yadav.

All the plot owners were not equally happy with the development. For instance, Pankaj Yadav from Progressive Citizens' Welfare Association, Sector 52, appreciated the efforts of Anita Yadav, but said that the amount of refund needs to be revised.

The plots were allotted in 2003 at the rate of Rs 3,300 per square yard. Subsequently, HUDA asked for three enhancements till the total enhancement came to Rs 8,200 per square yard. More than 46 plot holders filed a petition in the high court in 2013. The court gave two months to HUDA to address the issue. After two months the petitioners moved court for contempt of court by HUDA, which had failed to abide by the court's order. In response, the court slapped a fine of Rs 50,000 on HUDA apart from telling it to refund money to the plot owners.

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